1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to protective means for the external head of key-actuated cylinder locks of the type which are secured to and carried by the front panel of coil boxes of coin-actuated devices, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore the external head of key-actuated cylinder locks have been provided with a hardened collar which circumscribes and projects forwardly over the external lock head whereby to effectively prevent the filing or chipping away of the head for reducing its outer diameter to a dimension such that the head-end of the lock cylinder can be pushed through the lock-cylinder-receptive-aperture in the front panel of a coin box, or the like, thereby rendering the lock ineffective and useless.
While the use of such hardened collars has prevented vandals from filing or chipping away the external head of cylinder locks, such collars function as a "guide" for the cutting edge of a hollow mill or hole-saw which effectively cuts away those portions of the external head of the cylinder lock which project beyond the confines of the lock-receptive aperture in the front panel of a coin box. In other words, by using a hollow mill, hole-saw, or the like the diameter of the external head is reduced to a dimension such that the head-end of the lock cylinder can be pushed into the coin box for thereby defeating the function of the lock.
Once a lock has thus been disabled and dislodged from its supporting panel, the coin box may be easily opened, and its contents removed along with the "disabled" lock. The lock may then be removed from the premises and utilized to make a duplicate key for that particular lock and all like it, that is said duplicate key will be effective in opening, that is unlocking, all of the other locks of a battery of coin-controlled mechanisms such as, by way of example, washers, driers, vending machines, and the like; and since the coin box, per se, is not damaged by the lock-removing procedure, the vandals replace the cylinder lock which was removed, with another complete cylinder lock which has an intact external head to match the external head of the "removed" lock, whereby the lawful owners and authorized service personnel of the coin-actuated devices are unaware of the fact that their coin boxed are being pilfered at will by vandals.